In prior art, it is well known to provide solutions for enhancing passenger safety during vehicle accidents. The vehicle interior serves a crucial role in protecting any individuals travelling in the vehicle, and solutions for protecting these individuals comprise, i.e., airbags, seatbelts, and padded surfaces.
Other protective solutions relate to the enhancement and improvement of vehicle seats, wherein safety is enhanced by means of padding and/or features such as whiplash protection and airbags mounted in the vehicle seat. However, such features are mostly directed towards reducing horizontal forces, such as those arising through frontal collision. It is desirable to also reduce any vertical forces exerted on the individual.
One solution for reducing vertical force is disclosed in US 2013/229038, mainly related to military vehicles. The vehicle seat in this document comprises a seat pan having a folded portion, the folded portion being such that it unfolds and thereby absorbs at least a part of the vertical force during collision. The seat pan is made out of a metal sheet, resulting in a quite uncomfortable seat unsuitable for use in civilian vehicles.
Yet another solution for reducing vertical force is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,746,792, wherein a vehicle seat is provided with energy absorbing means in one or two regions. One kind of energy absorbing means comprises energy absorbing foam arranged between a vehicle seat structural cross member and the vehicle seat comfort foam. A further energy absorbing means comprises a suspension system wherein longitudinal wires extend between front and rear cross members, one end of each wire being resiliently attached to the rear cross member by means of a deformable element configured to absorb energy by facilitating deflection of the wire during collision.